Means for dissolving soluble solids in liquids



Feb. 5, 1952 c. H. OH-LWILER 2,584,910 MEANS FOR DISSOLVING SOLUBLESOLIDS IN LIQUIDS Filed Nc av. 2, 1949 CLARENCE H. OHLW|LEI2 2 9 BY g/#-ATTORNEY Win44 Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE 7MEANS FOR DISSOLVING SOLUBLE soLms IN LIQUIDS Clarence H. Ohlwiler,Southbridge, Mass.

Application November 2, 1949, Serial No. 125,132

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus to be used fordissolving soluble solids in liquids automatically.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved containerand apparatus for dissolving solid soluble materials automatically intoa concentrated solution wherein the solid is exposed only to the freshsolvent and not to the concentrated solution after portions of the solidmaterial have gone into solution.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus fordissolving soluble solids into solution automatically whereby the solidmaterial is exposed only to the fresh solvent and not to theconcentrated solution after some of the solid material has gone intosolution. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus fordissolving solid materials into solution automatically whereby aconcentrated solution of substantially uniform saturate concentrationthroughout is obtained and concentrations of different uniformity inlayers are avoided.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. It will be apparent that many changes in the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts of the apparatus can be madewithout departing from the invention as set forth in the accompanyingclaims.

I, therefore, do not wish to belimited to the exact details andarrangements shown and described as the preferred forms and means onlyhave been shown by way of illustration.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. I is a vertical cross section of one form of apparatus embodyingthe invention.

Fig. II is a top view of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a cross section on line I--l of Fig. I.

Fig. IV is a top View of another form of apparatus embodying theinvention.

Fig. V is a vertical cross section of the apparatus of Fig. IV on line6-6 of Fig. VI.

Fig. VI is a bottom view of Fig. V, and

Fig. VII is a partial side view of Fig. V, partly in cross section.

It is often desirable in chemical processes to dissolve soluble solidsin solvents to obtain a desired concentrated solution. The usual methodhas been to place the solvent in a beaker or container and thenintroduce the solid materials, such as crystals into the solvent. Thismethod introduces the difficulty that the concentration of the solutionis constantly changing as the solid material is introduced into thesolvent. When the first batches of the solid material are introducedinto the fresh solvent this material dissolves as it is put in thesolvent and the concentration of the solvent is changed. Thisconcentration increases as more and more solid material is added. It isa principal object of this invention to provide means by which the freshsolvent when introduced to the solid material is always fresh and of thesame concentration as the original solvent placed in the container.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters denotesimilar parts throughout:

In Fig. I is shown a container, beaker or flask 2. In the interior ofthe container 2 is provided a funnel-like receptacle for the solidmaterial, shown in crystalform at 3. This funnel-like receptacle 4 hasthe inclined supporting wall 5 which is inclined downwardly from the toptowards the wall of the container 2. This wall 5 is curved around at thetop as shown in Fig. II andjoined to the wall of the container 2 andforms the supporting cavity or holder for thesolid material 3. At thebottom of the cavity or holder 4 is a pierced strainer portion or memberI5. The bottom of the cavity or holder portion 4 is shaped into a tubeor conduit portion 1 which extends downwardly along the container wall2. This tube-like portion 7 terminates at a spaced distance from thebottom of the container as shown in Fig. I.

If desired, a separate holder for the solid material may be used. Such aconstruction is shown in Figs. IV, V, VI and VII. In this device afunnel 8 is supported in a base member 9. The base member 9 has anopening for receiving the lower end or conduit portion of the funnel B.This base member is made to hold the funnel 8 in erect position. Thewalls of the base member 9 are cut away at the bottom at the edges In ofthe base-see Fig. VI-to provided openings extending into thecentralopening in the base member 9, to provide channels through whichthe concentrated solution falling through the funnel or conduit part 9may pass out through the base into the solvent space. The funnel has thepierced strainer member [5, Fig. V.

Hence, the solid material holder may be made integral with the containeror it may be made as a separate member.

The solvent is placed in the space H, Fig. I.

The operation is as follows:

The solid material, say for example, copper sulphate crystals, is placedin the holder portion 4. The solvent, say for example, water, is placedin the section I l of the container up to the level of the top of thewall at l2 and then a little more added so the solvent will overflowinto the solid matter in the holder portion 4. The concentrated solutioncreated by the solution of the solid material in the solvent iscomparatively heavy and flows down, to the bottomof the con tainercontinuously pushing the lighter fresh solvent up through the solidmaterial. This dissolving action goes on until all the solid matter goesinto solution, or the solution becomes saturated.

The solid material is exposedonly to the fresh solvent above where rapidsolution goe's'on and not to the concentrated solution beneath where thesolvent action would be slight or not at all.

By conducting the. concentrated solution through a conduit to the bottomof the container there is no mixing of 'dissolved material or solutionwith the solvent, so the solution is not diluted and the solvent remainsfresh. I

The operation of the device-"shown in Figs. IV, V, VI and VII ispractically t he same as that described for Fig. I. The base} is placedin the container 2 and the funnel B inserted in the base 9 as shown inFigs. IV and V. The solid material is placed in the cavity or holdingportion 4 of the fumiel and the solvent in the space H of the container2. The solvent is poured in until it overflows the top of the funnel 9.The process is then the same as that for Fig. I. The concentratedsolution feedsdown through the funnel 3 and base 9 and escapes into thesolution in space it through the openings at It) in the base, see Figs.VI and VII.

The concentrated solution being heavier than the fresh solvent flowsdown to the bottom of the container and pushes the fresh solvent up intothe solid material which is being dissolved.

The action is continuous as the concentrated solvent works upward fromthe bottom until all the solid material is dissolved.

The solid material is insoluble in the concentrated solution, thereforethe solid material and its concentrated solution should be kept as faraway from each other as practicable.

The solid material and the solvent should be as close together aspracticable.

This invention accomplishes both of these conditions.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided simple,efiicient and economical means for obtaining all the objects andadvantages of the invention.

Having described the invention, I claim:

Apparatus for dissolving a soluble solid material comprising a containerreceiving a solution of said material, a cylindrical base support havingits lower end positioned on the bottom of the container to retain saidsupport in an upright position, said base support having a slotextending through a side wall thereof from said lower end, said slotforming an outlet adjacent said bottom communicating with the inner boreof the base, and a relatively large funnel-shaped holder having a hollowstem extending within the bore of the cylindrical support and being sodimensioned that the upper edge thereof is located below the top ofthefcohtainer an amount sufficient to permit the solution in thecontainer to be at a level above the upper edge of the funnel-shapedholder, said funnel-shaped holder having a straining member thereinoverlying the hollow stem thereof.

CLARENCE I-I. OHLWILER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number Lummus June 3,1913

